By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser
The Isabella Mustangs and Verbena Red Devils split a series of basketball games on Dec. 14, as the Mustang varsity girls picked up a road win over Verbena 60-40, while the Verbena varsity boys successfully defended their home court 56-42.
Kiara Ford and Janiya White exchanged baskets to get things started for both teams, and with another basket from White, Verbena took an early one-point lead.

The Red Devils’ lead was short lived after a basket from Lexi Owens swung the lead in favor of Isabella, while Ford later made it a three-point Mustangs lead.

Ford continued her hot hand in the closing moments of the period, as she extended Isabella’s lead to seven, but a late basket from White saw the first period end with Isabella leading 13-8.
Ford remained hot in the early moments of the second, and sank a three to get things started in the period for Isabella.
Consecutive baskets from White cut the Mustangs’ lead to four, but six straight points from Chattman pushed Isabella back out in front but 10.

Three straight points from Ford and four more from Chattman gave Isabella a commanding 37-22 lead at the half.
Taylor Barrett started the scoring in the third for Verbena, but it was answered by a three from Sophie Underwood.

White cut the Mustangs lead to 12, and with a basket from Mynaya Sanders, the lead was cut to ten.

The Mustangs answered with a 6-0 run that started on a basket by Chattman and ended on a basket from White.
Despite the Red Devils outscoring the Mustangs 12-11 in the period, it was Isabella that ended the third with a 48-34 lead.
Five straight from Underwood to start the final period pushed Isabella up by 19.
Chattman and Ford both finished the night with 23 points for Isabella, while White led all scorers with 30 points on the night.
Varsity boys action was closely contested during the first period, as the teams battled back-and-forth with neither team managing more than a one-point lead through the early minutes.

Five consecutive points by Isaac Martin midway through the period gave Isabella a four-point lead, but a three from Xavier DeJarnett made it a one-point game.

Jaqarise Stacy put the Mustangs out in front by three, while a free throw from DeJarnett and two more from Dawson Rohrbough tied the game at 11-all.

With just seven seconds remaining in the period, Rohrbough gave Verbena a
one-point lead from the free throw line at the end of the first period, 12-11.
Christian Blauch and Nicholas Rutland gave the Red Devils a five-point advantage in the early minutes of the second, while Rohrbough and DeJarnett later make it a nine-point lead in favor of Verbena.

The Red Devils a 29-20 lead at the half.
The Red Devils lead extended to 16 early in the fourth quarter, as baskets from DeJarnett and Rohrbough pushed Verbena further out in front.

A three-point basket from Martin spurred a 7-0 Isabella run that cut the Verbena lead to nine, but a basket from Nick Williams began a 5-1 run for the Red Devils that propelled Verbena to the win.
DeJarnett led Verbena with 23 points, 13 rebounds and four steals.
Stacy led the Mustangs with 20 points, nine rebounds and one steal.